About Me

Friday, June 07, 2013

Texas Tells Women They Can't Say No

Just so y'all don't get confused, this isn't another one of those blog posts where I'm getting all shrill and hysterical over women not being allowed to control their fertility -- like Texas cutting off funding to Planned Parenthood, or Texas's ridiculously archaic attitudes toward sex-ed in the schools.

In 2009, on Christmas Eve, Ezekiel Gilbert searched Craig's List. He found a woman there he liked, an "escort" who would come to his house for $150 dollars. Understandably, he figured he'd get hot sex for that $150 dollars.

Well, she showed up, he gave her the money, but then she left without putting out.

So -- being a Texan and an asshat -- he followed her out of his house and shot her.

She died seven months later.

Two days ago, a Texas jury acquitted him of him of murder.

It's not a crime to shoot a whore if she won't give up what you paid for, see.

Also, you have to understand, Gilbert is the real victim here:

“I sincerely regret the loss of the life of Ms. Frago,” Gilbert said Wednesday. “I've been in a mental prison the past four years of my life. I have nightmares. If I see guns on TV where people are getting killed, I change the channel.”

OH NO. He has to change the CHANNEL.

All kidding aside, I have to say, this one astounds even me, and I grew up in the patriarchy. I know in my bones that this world sees women as nothing but objects to be used as men see fit. I know we are not allowed to object or to change our minds when men want to fuck us. I know they are allowed to punish us however they like and as much as they like if we dare to think we can control our own bodies.

But -- seriously? Because look what happened here. Gilbert was in the middle of committing a crime. In the middle of committing that crime, he shot and murdered someone. If he was robbing a liquor store and he had shot and murdered someone, he would be on death row now. How is it that because the crime is prostitution he is acquitted?

Oh -- right. I forgot.

Because he shot a woman and because she is a black woman and because she is just a whore.